“Doubt” Delivers: SDSU Takes on the Award Winning Script
By Kristen Fogle
Doubt, in life is common; when the Catholic Church is involved, it’s a whole other matter entirely.
Enter “Doubt: A Parable”: the brainchild of John Shanley, as well as the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 2005. The action of the story takes place in a Catholic school in the 1960s and grapples with a priest, Father Flynn, and namely his character. Were his actions inappropriate toward a young boy, or does the hardened principal of the school, Sister Aloysius, have it out for him? With another, young nun wanting to believe the best in Father Flynn and the mother of the boy determined to shut her eyes no matter what the situation, the play tackles dark dimensions. Ultimately, the audience is left doubting whether they have come to the correct conclusion as well.
One of the best shows I’ve seen in a while, “Doubt” does not seem like a student production. Set in SDSU’s Experimental Theatre, a little black box tucked away behind the main theater, the space is done up effectively; the main stage is the epitome of an office in a Catholic school—clunky wood furniture, drab, dark wall paper, crucifix, picture of the pope—and below the stage, a garden with cement benches and small tree in the middle that denoted the space between the school and the rectory. (A Catholic school “survivor,” the set-up felt all too familiar.) Good direction by C.J. Smith was noticeable as cast members maneuvered around what must have been a tricky space to block.
Additionally, the “Doubt” actor and actresses take us through the brilliantly eloquent script with a vigor and skill usually saved for more professional stages. Father Flynn (Kevin Koppman-Gue) is crafted well—perfect for the era, he exudes a certain young Kennedy quality; as audience members we feel drawn to his passion for the church and his (good? bad?) intentions for the young boy. (Sidenote: We never meet this young boy on the stage, but his presence is evoked so well that we believe in him, his well being; we too feel compelled to protect him.) The boy’s mother, Mrs. Muller (Ivouma Okoro), is a difficult, compelling role; Okoro ably presents a picture of a woman who cares so much that she will do anything, even dismiss crude behavior, to do what she believes is best for her son. Sister James (Rachel Dexter), the bright eyed young nun, is played with complexity—such cheerfulness mixed with an evident fear of dark thoughts that haunt her in her dreams. Her exuberance is presented in juxtaposition with Sunny Smith’s Sister Aloysius. Even a less skilled actress might move us—her lines, ruminations on morality, religion, life are by far the best—but Smith is obviously quite accomplished. Carrying the show with a presence culled straight from a nunnery, she is right on with the tenacity, force, and painful humanity that is Aloysius.
Though many of the details of the plot are revealed here, and the 2008 movie starring Meryl Streep has been seen by many, there is no substitute for seeing this capable cast take on a stellar script.
Doubt
San Diego State University
Experimental Theatre
9/30-10/9
619-594-6884
http://theatre.sdsu.edu
To see the original article, please visit http://www.sdtheatrereviews.com/arts.php?newsId=255 or http://artsnfashion.com/index.php/component/content/article/49/114-doubt-review-by-kristen-fogle
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